Before there was Goku: Pre-DB saga.
by Tahara Sylvanna
Summary: The story of the young saiyajin Tahara, and her quest to find her place in this world. Chapters 1-3.
1. Default Chapter

Forward.

In the era of the Icejin Freeza's rule, there existed a tiny planet in the orbit of a dwarf star was a lush subtropical world, inhabited by a race known as the Aardalians. They were a people who were known for their pacifist ways, but also for their ability to produce elite fighters. However, Aardal's sister planet only knew of this planet, Greginish, which was inhabited by a barbaric race of techno-insectoids known as the Krell. 

Vegeta-sei, some thirty light years away, was the main force behind Freeza's planet pirating industry, that struck terror into those planets that were aware, and came as unsuspecting destruction to the one's that did not. From that planet, warriors of the Saiyajin race were sent to clear out the target planet's inhabitants, leaving the planet itself for sale on the universal black market. Interested buyers needed to only produce the money, and soon the entire planet would be theirs.

When a few of the more underhanded Krell heard of this, they set to work a plan to conquer their sister planet. Jealousy had driven some of the Krellian leaders to determine Aardal's fate with a single payoff. This would judge the true might of the Aardalian's once and for all. The deal was sealed, and within a few days, a pod was hurtling through space toward the green planet…

**********************

Part one, enter the Saiyajin.

**********************

A small spherical ship sailed though the stars. Inside was a single tiny occupant, a young Saiyajin girl. She was about five years old, and looked angelic sleeping curled up in the pod. The pod's sensors read her vitals and they were normal. As it approached the planet that was her intended target, the onboard computer woke up the sleeping child. "Wake up Tahara, wake up Tahara...." It repeated the phrase over and over, until the child began to stir. She opened her green eyes and blinked while looking around. The planet was then entering the atmosphere. It slammed into the ground, creating a creator about fifty feet deep and twice as wide. The pod let out a hiss as it quickly made the slight adjustment from its maintained atmosphere to the planets.

"Now, Tahara, kill, destroy, kill, destroy..." The pods orders were crystal clear. It projected the image of the moon, up into the night sky. Meanwhile the girl had crawled out on her hands and knees and had clambered up the side of the slope with relative ease. She heard the command of the computer, and looked up to see the shining image of the moon.

The change came quickly and soon the great ape was crashing toward a small town that was nearby. With a few well-paced beams from her mouth, the only thing left of the town was a pile of rubble. She roared triumphantly and set out to find the next town.

**********

The rain of destruction had continued for over two months, and the people of Aardal had been desperately looking for a solution. Being a pacifist planet, they could not bring themselves to attempt and destroy the monster; even if it was no match for their strongest warrior.

**********

The High Lord of the planet, Kenco, had his best scientists working on ways to subdue the beast. He looked around the conference hall. The Lower Lords faces were grim.

 "So is there nothing at all we can do about this beast from the stars?" Kenco asked, looking to each of the lords in turn. Each time his look was met with a bowed head.

There was suddenly a commotion outside the conference hall door. A mousy looking man stepped in with his face alight.

"Lord Kenco! We've found it! We've found the source of the demons power!!" The excited shouts rang across the room stirring the entire assembly.

Kenco stood up and greeted the man with a hearty handshake, "Good work man! Show us what you've found!"

The man pressed a few buttons on the console nearest to him and an image began to appear on the center of the table. It showed a small spherical pod, with its door opened and a beam projecting from it. The man explained: "This projection makes a moon, a full one. Since we have no moon, this projection must be the source of the monster's power. We have studied its energy variations and they begin to lessen when there is no image present. We believe that the monster will loose an extreme amount of power when this energy source is cut off."

Lord Kenco nodded his head. "Send for the champion."

**********

Zikore awoke, he yawned heavily and looked at the screen. His eyes widened, an urgent call from the High Lord himself! He scrambled quickly over to the communicator, his sheet falling down as he clutched it to himself. He switched the monitor on.

"Yes, Lord Kenco! What may I do for you?"

The image of the High Lord appeared on the monitor. "Zikore, the planet of Aardal needs you. You are to partake in a dangerous mission." The screen flickered showing the area and a close up view of the pod. "You are to destroy the source of the monsters power, and then see if you are able to subdue the beast itself. I know full well you are greatly stronger than this beast, but you know the code of Aardalis, and you will uphold this code no matter what. I expect you to leave as soon as you receive the exact location of the power source. Do your Lord and planet proud. Peace In the Name of Aardalis!" Lord Kenco bowed and the screen blinked and showed the position of the pod. Zikore knew that place, and finding it would be easy.

He dressed quickly, and then blasted off towards the one that was dubbed The Star Demon.

**********

He landed gracefully and surveyed the scene around him. The forest was nearly destroyed. Grief washed over him, what kind of beast would destroy a beautiful place like this?

He shook his head, and walked over to the creator that held the alien craft. That was when he heard it. The thing was blaring two words, and saying them harshly. He listened to the words, and memorized their sounds. The scientists would have to decipher them later. Raising his hand, he charged a single ball of Ki and blasted the ship to bits. The night grew dark as the false moon faded quickly out of the sky.

His eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness and he took off again.

Now to find the beast.

**********

Tahara had been mindlessly destroying the cities getting a primal rush from chasing down and destroying the autos that fled the areas.

She was beginning to get bored. None of these creatures were even attempting to fight, and this was upsetting in two ways. There was no challenge in fighting them. And then there was the way that some of them looked at her...no hatred, only pity. A surge of anger struck her and she blasted a few buildings. She peered into the city. No one was there. Growling and bored, she began to stalk back to her pod to bask in the moons glow. As she neared the site of the pod, she noticed something was wrong, very wrong.

There was no moon.

She roared her anger and began to stomp the ground, much like a five-year-old's tantrum. She pounded the ground with her fists as well, causing earthquake tremors to spread.

Suddenly she noticed something. A figure was approaching her. She grinned, showing her large ape mouth. No one had approached her since she got to this planet. Maybe she would finally have a challenge.

She studied the man as he slowed and came nearer. He looked like a Saiyajin, but had green hair with horns sticking out of his head and no tail. She tilted her head to one side and blinked.

The man then spoke in a language she didn't understand. She swished her tail and batted at him like a toy. He started yelling in the same strange language. Then he did something that made her tremble with excitement.

He moved into a fighting stance.

She roared her challenge and swung her fist at him. To her surprise, he caught her fist. She looked at him again, and grew angry. He was looking at her with the same pity in his eyes that the other creatures had. She roared again and swatted her own fist, meaning to squish him between her hands. She caught him off guard and happily saw her hands meet. But he held her hands apart.

She backed off of him quickly and opened her mouth in a snarl. He spoke again in that strange language, which only served to anger her further. She shot a ki beam at him from her mouth, watching as it headed straight toward him.

He dodged past the beam easily and punched her hard in the gut, following with a kick to her jaw as he flew upwards.

She stumbled back from the blows, only needing the first one to cause her to transform back into the small girl. She fell to the ground with a thud, and lay there unmoving.

**********

Zikore looked in surprise at this turn of events. The monster was a child? A girl child? He removed his own light flowing shirt and wrapped the child in it. He looked down at the small one. She looked peaceful and innocent. He wondered how she would act now that she wasn't a monster. He made up his mind to pay a personal visit to the High Lord, to show him this amazing child. Cradling her gently in his arms, he blasted off, his aura blazing a pale green around him as he made his way to the palace.

**********

Lord Kenco was seated in the main room of the lords, a well-endowed room with seats for each of the lords. His seat was of course, the highest and most beautiful of the seats. He looked worriedly out of a nearby window, hoping that Zikore would return successfully.

A man entered the room, peering meekly at the Lord. "Sire, we have the greatest of news, Zikore has returned. He has defeated the beast and wishes to speak with you."

The High Lord stood up almost jumping for joy. "Send him in, send him in!" The man quickly exited, and a few moments later, Zikore strolled in. Kenco noticed he was holding something rather gently, and wondered what it was as Zikore made his report. His eyes widened at the small bundle as the warrior told him how the monster had been transformed into a child with two blows. He stepped slowly down from the platform his chair rested on and walked to Zikore. He looked at the child, awe on his face. He paced back toward his seat, and then turned slowly back, thinking deeply. At last he stopped and turned to Zikore. He asked pointedly if Zikore had told any others about this. At the shake of his head Kenco continued to pace for another moment, his eyes going back every few moments to the child.

"What do you say we do with this young one? You know full well that if we leave the decision up to the Council of Lords, she will be imprisoned for life, or perhaps given to our scientists to study. Either way, she would grow up cold, with no training, and learn to hate the people who spared her life. If she manages to contact her own kind, our planet will be overrun with giant monsters, and most likely destroyed. I must think on this a few days, until then you will watch her, and keep her out of the public eye. Is that understood?"

Zikore bowed, "Yes Sire." He turned slowly and looked down at the child again. Now he must watch over her? He didn't like that idea considering that for one, she had killed hundreds of his people, and had shown no remorse as of yet. Then even if he was agreeable with the idea of taking care of her, he knew nothing about taking care of small children, having never had any himself. For that matter, he hadn't been in contact with any children at all since he was a child himself. His brows furrowed as he thought to himself, What am I to do now? 

**********

Tahara woke groggily, blinking her eyes a few times and looking around. Her head and her stomach were sore, and she groaned as she got up off of the bed. She was in a building, was she home? She walked slowly out of the room, her curiosity peaking as she looked down the hall. She looked at the walls; strange paintings were hung there, showing scenery of trees and forests. She floated up to one of the paintings and looked at it closer. It almost looked real. She touched it, making sure that it wasn't a photograph. Her fingers ran along brush strokes.

"Ooohhhh, pretty." She kept running her hand along the lines, making the tips of her fingers tingle. She floated to each of the paintings, taking her time. She looked closely at most of them, as if trying to see smaller images in the life-like paintings. She eventually grew bored with looking at the paintings and decided to look around the house. She flew into the room she woke up in and snooped around, pulling things out of drawers and closets. Finishing there, she left and went to the next room.

She glided gently into the room and looked around again, it looked like a twin of her room and there was another bed there. She gasped out loud from returning memories when she saw who was lying in the bed. A man was wrapped up in the sheets; his head was adorned with small horns, which curved to point straight to the front of his head. His hair was the same green that she remembered. Looking at him brought a mixture of feelings to her chibi brain. Fear and anger. Unfortunately for her, the anger overrode the fear.

She landed hard enough on his bed to wake him up. "You big mean man!!! You wanna fight me 'gain?" She shouted while jumping up once on the bed and landing hard. Upon landing, the pain in her head and gut returned, and she winced. Deciding quickly that she wasn't well enough for fighting she flew out of the bedroom window. She sailed off not knowing where she was heading; only knowing that she had to get away from him. She looked behind her.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!"

The man was gaining on her fast! She pushed all of her energy into her flight and her aura erupted white as she sped up. She looked back again; he had outmatched her speed and was still gaining.

She thought to herself... What am I gonna do now? I'm gonna havta fight, but I don wanna! My tummy herts and my head doz too. I guess I gotta...

She stopped in midair and turned to face him with a look of sheer determination. She tried to make a scary face at him, attempting to scare him off. He still approached, and she put her hands on her hips and tried to look like an adult.

He stopped about ten feet away from her and spoke in his strange language, not harshly, but soothingly as if he was trying to calm her.

She didn't understand any of it. Breaking her adult act, she stuck her tongue out at him and gave him a raspberry. Smirking, she shouted to him, "You think you tan beat me? I am much strwonger than you!!" She floated there with her arms crossed, like she remembered her mother doing. She looked at the man again, and then she realized something that made her laugh out loud. He was only wearing his bed sheet! She pointed and laughed at him kicking in midair.

"You don have no close on! Hahahahaha!"

She rolled around in the air, loosing sight of him while laughing. When she came back up he was right in front of her. Gasping in surprise, she starts to fly away from him, but can't. She looks down and sees his hand on her foot. He says something again in his language, very softly.

Tahara took that to mean a death threat and slugged him. She looked on in shock as it connected, but had no affect at all on him. She punched him harder; throwing everything she had into it. He flew back about three feet, but she went with him because of his grip on her foot. He looked at her again with that pity that she had seen in the other people's eyes, and let go of her foot. It sparked a fire in her and she flew at him punching and kicking wildly.

Every one of her blows made direct contact and everyone had no affect on him whatsoever. He kept talking in that soothing voice, with the piteous expression in his eyes. She wanted to claw his eyes out, crush his neck so he couldn't speak anymore, she wanted to...wanted to...

Tears were streaming down her face, she was fighting him and he was so much stronger, but he still didn't kill her. It made her think of how he could kill her, then how the people she had killed felt. She was sobbing by then, her punches getting weaker and weaker until she collapsed, sobbing, into his arms. She couldn't think of anything and spoke only two words.

"I'm sorwy, I'm sorwy, I'm sorwy..."

*********

Lord Kenco had been thinking on the proper way to deal with the problem at hand. He had been playing over all the possibilities for almost a week, and had at last come to a decision. He summoned Zikore, and told him to bring the child.

Zikore entered the room, leading a small spiky haired girl into the middle of the blue carpeting. Her tail twitched nervously, as she looked around, and when Zikore let go of her hand, she hid behind his leg. Zikore looked down at her. "Calm down young one, you will not be hurt here."

Lord Kenco looked at the child, and slowly rose from his chair. He walked over to her and bent over, at eye level with the young saiyajin. "Child, do you understand what I am saying?"

She looked at him for a moment, slightly confused and said something in a different language as she nodded slightly. Zikore spoke up for her then. "Sire she seems to be learning a few words, but she cannot speak any yet, and she may not understand exactly what you are saying."

The High Lord stood back up, "Very well, I shall show her then." He clapped his hands and pointed. On a sidewall, an image appeared, it was Tahara in her great ape form. She was smashing through buildings and blasting everything in her path. "Child do you see what you have done? Do you swear never to do this again? If so simply nod, and you will be free to learn our ways under Zikore's tutelage, if not, you will be placed in prison until your natural death."

Zikore looked shocked. "Sire, she barely knows our language. You can't expect her to understand that! Please allow me to expl..."

"Quiet! She will make the decision herself, with no help from you, Zikore. And she will make it NOW."

Tahara's face was streaked with tears as she watched the screen, and she began to shake. The Lord looked into her face and asked her again directly. "Do you swear never to do this again?"

She pointed and said something in her own language, it was only two words, and she sat on the ground and began to wail.

Zikore was irate and confused, wondering why he was angry with the High Lord on what should have been a fair judgment. More so, the child's crying was making him angrier. "Sire, turn that off please." His voice was shaking, trembling from rage.

Lord Kenco stood in front of the girl blocking her view of the scenes of destruction. "Tell me girl, yes or no." He shook his head to emphasize the words. "Are you ever going to do that again?" He pointed.

Tahara looked around desperately for some way to communicate. Then she saw it. She got up and ran off of the carpet over to one of the lower Lords chairs. She broke a leg off of the chair, as she heard the other man yelling. She was sure she was in trouble for messing up the mans room, but this was important. She had to show them she was sorry. She quickly, burned the end of the leg with her ki and sat on the floor. Using the charred end she began to draw pictures, as other people ran into the room. First she drew a sad face with a tail, showing her, then flowers and trees and a sun with a cloud beside it. She drew under the sad face a few circles with horns, and put X's in their eyes. Next, under the sunny sky, she drew a happy face with a tail, and several more faces with horns, all with happy faces. She drew a line between the two sets of pictures, and began to cry again. She pointed at one; the one with the sad faced her, and pointed to herself. She pointed at the other picture and stretched her arms out toward crowd that was now in front of her. Then turning to Zikore she said the only two words she had been saying for the past five days.

Zikore looked at the Lord. "Now do you believe me sire? She has a good heart, it was only the demon that killed."

The High Lord stared at the child for a moment more, then switched off the monitor and picked the child up. "You are forgiven, young one. I hope that you learn well the ways of our people, and become a gentle being. Zikore, she is now your sole responsibility."

Zikore walked to the Lord and took Tahara from him. He bowed to the crowd. "You will not regret it High Lord. She will become a pinnacle of the Aardalis way. This I promise you."

With that Tahara's training began.


	2. Impending doom

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Part Two, Impending doom.

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            A young dark haired woman stood in the center of an arena. The crowd cheered madly, as she smirked. On the other side of the arena, a huge insectoid entered, it's mandibles snapping the air. It walked on four legs, over to the young woman. She stood calmly, still smirking.

Over the shouting rose a single voice. 

"To your places!"

The woman walked calmly over to the line drawn on the round track. The insect stalked menacingly after her. 

"READY..."

The woman bent low, the insect doing the same.

"SET..."

The woman's muscles tensed for a second then relaxed, and she smirked again.

"GO!"

Both contenders were off in a flash, each becoming amazing blurs of speed nearly unable to be spotted. Almost as soon as the race begun, it stopped. Both contestants stood in their original places, as dust and wind caught up to them, shifting around their now still figures. A shocked silence passed over the crowd, leading to tense waiting murmuring.

"Please wait while the computers confirm the winner..."

The crowd grew slightly louder; a few excited sentences could be heard.

"...Never since Zikore has there been such speed..."

"No wonder, Zikore himself trained the girl..."

The insectoid peered down at the woman with its multiple eyes. It spoke in a rasping voice, "They will soon find out that I got here long before you child. Hm Hm Hm…"

The woman looked at him through the corners of her eyes. "We'll see won't we?" The bug was beginning to annoy her with its cocky attitude.

A loud click told the audience to listen.

"We have the results in, these two were going five times the speed of sound!" Audible gasps were heard in the crowd. "AND the winner of the race is..." pausing for dramatic effect seemed to anger the crowd a bit, but they waited expectantly.

"OUR VERY OWN CHAMPION TAHARA!" 

The cheer of the crowd swelled into a deafening roar, the protests of the insectoid could not even be heard.

Tahara flew up to the center of the arena where all could see her, she shot a few ki orbs into the air dully charged making them explode in a shower of colors. She then floated back down to the ground.

She walked slowly to the side entering the arena complex. She turned a corner and noticed someone waiting for her. He was an older man with green hair and horns that curved forward on his head. A smile spread across Tahara's face.

"Father."

Zikore looked at the young lady, smiling in return.

"You know you could have went faster out there."

"Yeah, but where would the fun be in that? At least he thought he could win." She gave him a bored look. "You know it's been a while since I've done anything really challenging."

He winced, "I know, I know, but we age a bit faster around here and the last time you fought me, I was sore for weeks!"

She laughed and looked at him lovingly. "Well, maybe I should be a bit more gentle from now on hmmm?

They both laughed.

Zikore looked at Tahara, she had grown so much, but looked only half the age that she would be if she were an Aardalian. His stomach leapt as he looked at her. She called him father, and treated him like a brother, but he thought often of her in other ways. He denied the fact to himself...he was in love with her. He smiled at her.

"Shall we go home then?"

**********

On the planet Vegeta-sei a pod blasted off carrying a lone fighter. His mission was to discover why a planet had not been overtaken. He was to clear out any inhabitants left, find out what happened to the first Saiyajin sent there if possible, and report back any findings as to why the mission had failed.

He looked at the screen before drifting off to sleep. The computer flashed the name of the planet he was speeding towards.

The planet Aardal.

**********

Tahara and Zikore blasted off from the arena, leaving green ki trails behind them. Tahara spun in circles around Zikore, laughing as she did so.

   Zikore looked at her amused, "My, you're in a good mood today."

   She smiled back at him stopping her spiral and flying on her back a few feet underneath him. "I'm always happy after workouts, but today is a week from my birthday! Don't tell me you've forgotten already."

   Zikore planted a false mask of shock on his face. "Your birthday? Really I completely forgot! It must be old age creeping up on me again..."

   Tahara made a face at him. "You're a terrible liar, father. You don't look old, and you're never to old to...RACE ME!" She spun quickly over his head and blasted off pushing everything she had into it, laughing.

   Zikore got over his surprise quickly and shot off like a rocket after her.

   They laughed together as they flew, head to head, across the light blue sky. Tahara smirked and pushed more power into it, over exerting herself a bit, but gaining a lead on Zikore. She landed on the steps of their house; sweat just beginning to bead on her forehead. Zikore landed less then a second later. He gave Tahara a concerned look.

   "You shouldn't push yourself like that. You might get hurt."

   "You know I'd never push myself that hard," she said smiling." Her stomach growled. "There's the dinner bell," she said nearly laughing.

   Zikore bowed to her. "Shall we eat then?"

   Tahara took his arm and smiled. "I do believe we shall."

**********

The ship would arrive at the planet in one day. It awakened its occupant. The Saiyajin opened his eyes and blinked, becoming more alert, he pressed a few buttons on the control panel.

The stats of the planet came up within moments. He read through them, noting the power levels. He stopped when he read a statement in bold. NO MOON.

"Humph"

That was easily taken care of. He leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes, preparing himself for possible battles.

**********

It was evening in the house and Tahara had just polished off her third helping of dinner. She sat back and smiled contentedly.

"What will you be getting me for my birthday anyway? It is only five days away you know."

Zikore looked at her for a moment and then shook his head. "I'll tell you the same thing I've told you for the past thirty years. I'm not telling you until after you've opened the present."

Tahara made a face. She yawned. "Well, then I guess I'll know in four days then."

It was Zikore's turn to make a face. Somehow she had always found out what her present was before she got it. He suspected the servants of the house to be the cause, but had never caught any of them.

Tahara got up and walked slowly toward the stairs calling behind her, "Good night, father."

Zikore found himself watching her as she walked slowly up the steps, she moved gracefully. He looked away from her quickly; feeling embarrassed as he always did for watching her. He was supposed to be a father figure to her. He stood up angrily and clenched his fists together. He was in love with the only single woman on the planet he couldn't have! As the champion women had flocked to his feet, and he had ignored them to do his training. Now, he had trained and raised the girl and she had moved in his eyes from child to sister to his love. He walked outside quickly, in case his anger should explode. He breathed the cool night air in deeply, letting it relax his mind.

He began his meditation, pulling his mind away from all things, into the depths of nothingness. He raised his head quickly, something was there. It was coming; he had felt this thirty years ago, just before...

His eyes jerked open, and he stared into the night sky for a moment. He blasted off toward the High Council House. Perhaps this time the High Lord would take his warning seriously...

Zikore landed just outside the High Lord's private chambers, and pushed open the window. The old man was sleeping soundly in his bed, one of his horns stabbing the pillow.

"Lord Kenco, wake up sire!" Zikore put an urgent tone to his voice, as well as making it loud enough to rouse the old Lord from his sleep. Lord Kenco opened his eyes and then awakened fully sitting upright in bed.

"What is the meaning of this Zikore?!" Kenco was begging to get angry for the late night wake up call.

"Lord, another is coming. Another one of Tahara's kind."

The High Lord's eyes widened, his face turning pale. "Are you certain?"

Zikore became angry, "Sire, I'm as certain as I was when I first told you something like this, thirty years ago."

The tone of Zikore's voice, and the reference to his blunder caused the Lord to sit back against the top of the bed. He assumed his royal air and spoke down to the younger man. "I simply made a misjudgment of your character then, I thought you were simply trying to see how much trouble you could cause. You know full well that sensing power is something not many can do."

The subtle insult was enough to make Zikore clench his fists in anger, holding back the urge to strike the Lord. He controlled his voice, making himself sound calm. "I know it was unknown then sire, but you must take heed to my words now. This one is much stronger than Tahara was; it is quite possible that it is one of her parents. We need to evacuate the cities, and quickly. If we don't it is possible that more than a quarter of the population will perish this time."

The old Lord bowed his head and took a deep breath. "I'll see what I can do, it will take time though. How much time until this new threat arrives?"

Zikore shook his head. "Only about two days sire."

The Lord looked up at the aging warrior, fear easily readable on his face. He nodded and got up out of the bed. He pressed a button and the screen above it flashed to life.

"Call an emergency assembly of the Lords."

The small face on the screen looked at the High Lord. "But sire they have--"

"DO IT NOW!" Kenco looked menacingly into the monitor. He then turned his attention back to Zikore. "You may leave now, go. Get yourself and Tahara prepared, you might just have to fight again..."

Zikore bowed and left, flying out the window again. As he sped back towards his own home, his mind raced. How much of her past did Tahara remember? She was so young when she came to this planet, and has been so kind since she returned to her child form. Would she want to leave with her own kind, if that was who it was? His heart fell at the thought of her leaving. He made up his mind to talk to her the next morning. He landed and stepped into his house, his eyes trailed slowly over every piece of ferniture, every painting on the wall. He looked up the stairs, weary for the first time in his life.

Zikore walked slowly up the steps to Tahara's door. He opened it slowly, and looked as the dim light from the hall fell onto her sleeping form. She was sleeping peacefully on the bed, her features completely relaxed. Zikore stared at her for a moment before a surge of emotion swept over him. He clenched his fists, becoming tense. He made up his mind for the second time that night.

He wasn't going to give her up without a fight. 

He turned slowly and closed the door. He walked to his room, pulled off his clothes and collapsed onto the bed. He pulled the covers up and attempted to get to sleep...

**********

He awoke that morning still feeling tired from a fitful nights sleep. He dressed slowly taking his time, before floating down the stairs for breakfast. Tahara was already at the table, most likely on her second helping judging by the way she ate. She stopped her feeding frenzy to look up at Zikore as he came in.

"Hi, I started without you. Hope you don't mind, I wanted to get in some early training."

Zikore smiled, "Not at all, we might just finish at the same time. But I have...to talk to you before you go."

Tahara nodded briefly before diving back into the bowl she was working on.

A half-hour later Tahara leaned back in her chair and sighed happily, putting down the last bowl of her third helping. Zikore had finished just before her and spoke as she put the bowl down.

"How much of your past do you remember, Tahara?"

Tahara looked bewildered at this question, she had never really thought about her past. It was mostly all happy memories with Zikore. She thought some more, pulling her brain back to its earliest days. "I...can remember fighting you, and before that..." Her features grew taunt. "I remember hurting people, but I was only doing what I was told."

Zikore nodded, when she had learned his language, she had told him that. "Who was telling you to do that?"

"The ship. But that was controlled by someone else, someone important I think."

"Do you remember any of your own language?"

Tahara shook her head, "Not much. Why are you asking all of these questions all of a sudden? There's something wrong isn't there."

Zikore sighed; she could read him like a book. "Yes, there's something happening, but I don't know yet if it's good or bad. Tahara...one of your kind is coming to this planet." He looked at her seriously.

Tahara stared back in shock. Another of her kind? Her mind began to spin with questions for this person of her race. One question became prominent in her mind, and she looked to Zikore. "Why now?"

Zikore shook his head; "I have no idea...unless you were supposed to be finished destroying this palace by now. But perhaps they are different."

"Well I'm going to ask them, different or not." Tahara stood up.

Zikore stood up and grabbed her shoulder. "Tahara, if they are here to destroy this planet then we must train. That power I sensed was larger than ours, and we need to be ready to handle it in case things turn out badly."

Tahara nodded, grim determination in her eyes. "Let's go then."

**********

Inside a large domed building violent crashes could be heard. It was a special facility; the only one of it's kind on the planet. Inside the planet's two strongest fighters were in a heated sparring match that caused the entire building to shake. 

Tahara lunged at Zikore, her fists rapidly firing away at his head only to have Zikore dodge or block every one of them. Zikore put his feet into action, swinging kicks that appeared only as a blur. Tahara easily blocked them, turning around and finally landing a fierce kick to Zikore's back. He spun around and landed with a thud on the ground.

"Not bad, you've improved so much since you were little." He looked up smiling at Tahara, using his hand to sooth his sore back. "We've done all we can do, it's time to take a break and wait." He strolled over and clicked off the machine and sighed as the weight lifted off of his shoulders. Zikore removed his weighted clothing, leaving only the traditional flowing robe. Pouring a drink, he glanced up at Tahara.

"Are you coming down?" 

Tahara did a few more kicks and punches, and somersaulted to the floor. She left her weights on, gulping down the drink that Zikore offered to her. He nodded to her, "Take those weights off and get cleaned up, I'll clean up in here and follow you." 

"Ok" She pulled off the weights, tossing them absentmindedly to the floor letting the tiles crack under the weight. She looked sheepishly down. "Oops." Zikore laughed. "Never mind that, I'll clean up here, you go." Tahara walked out of the room casting one last embarrassed glance to the cracked tiles.

Zikore watched her leave and the smile disappeared from his face once she was gone. He picked up her weights carefully, she had been using twice the weights that he was, and at over one hundred times the planets gravity as well. He hoped that her strength would be able to withstand this new arrival. He finished quickly and met Tahara outside. He glanced up at the sky. "It's almost time." They blasted off heading to the area of the pods intended landing place.

**********

            The pod slammed into the ground, leaving a creator-like gash on the planet's surface, marring the pristine landscape for a second time. The door opened with a hiss, and the occupant of the pod stepped out and floated into the air. A young man, the Saiyajin had nonetheless seen his fare share of battles, and had come out victorious. He scanned the area where he landed, it was a rural area with farms and sparse houses scattered in no particular order. He turned on his scouter. Two blips registered as approaching him.

            "Humph." He sneered. So there were strong ones on this planet, he read the numbers. "Well, I think I know what happened to the little one sent here." Two points of light could now be seen on the horizon, and he crossed his arms and waited.

Zikore and Tahara blasted out of their flight a few yards from the Saiyajin. Zikore looked at him, "Traveler, tell us who are you and what your intentions are on this planet, peace or hostility?" Tahara looked at the man, and recalled seeing a city full of people with tails, walking and talking, this must be my home planet that I'm remembering…

The Saiyajin smirked. "My business is to retrieve her," he pointed at Tahara, "And to destroy all life on this planet. My name is Hiruko."


End file.
